


The Cold Shoulder

by ghostgirl19



Category: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Also Link has a motorcycle, Don't look at me I didn't say it..., F/M, Fluff, High School AU, Link doesn't know how to communicate his feelings, Modern AU, Romance, Shyness, Valentine's Day, Zelda doesn't understand her feelings, that's hot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-17
Updated: 2020-02-17
Packaged: 2021-02-27 18:24:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,735
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22770178
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ghostgirl19/pseuds/ghostgirl19
Summary: Castle Town High is infamous for its Valentine's Day matchmaking schemes. This year they present The Cold Shoulder, where the idea is that all the boys have to wear a paper heart on their shirts and the girls have to steal them away. The catch? Boys aren't allowed to talk to the girls, and the only way to get a boy's heart is if a girl gets a boy to talk to her.Sounds easy enough. But not when the heart you're trying to get is Link's.
Relationships: Link/Zelda (Legend of Zelda), slight Robbie/Cherry
Comments: 24
Kudos: 375





	The Cold Shoulder

**Author's Note:**

> Happy belated Valentine's Day!
> 
> I wanted to get this done before the big day, but work has been kicking my ass and I've been coming home too tired to write :/ But I finally finished it, and I hope you enjoy :)

Castle Town High just couldn’t have a normal Valentine’s Day, could it?

Instead of letting the students pass out cards, candy, and perhaps some flowers like any other normal school, every year the staff came up with some ridiculous scheme to make Valentine’s Day ‘memorable’.

Freshman year they handed out dating surveys to all the students to hopefully spark some relationships. The staff got in on the fun and created their own survey as well. Unfortunately, there was a mix-up, and several teachers who participated ended up as their students’ top matches and…well, after some phone calls from some very concerned parents, that event never saw the light of day again.

Zelda happened to get Link Wild at the top of her matches list. That’s when she knew the results were completely randomized, for what could she have in common with a guy like that? All anyone knew about him was that he was the best fencer in the school and refused to talk to anyone, except for his only friends Daruk and Mipha. And even then, his talking was minimal and in hushed tones so that nobody else could hear.

In sophomore year they made sure the event was geared towards students only. Valentine Grams were cheap, printable valentines with a box of equally cheap candy hearts attached. The week before the big day, for five rupees, students could sign a paper that would ensure their friend or significant other got one. A good idea in hindsight, but when the more popular people received dozens of them, and those on the ‘lower tier’ got none and were forced to watch their peers happily getting tons of Grams, the staff knew they had to switch tactics.

Revali Gale made sure everyone knew he got exactly 74 Grams from his devoted hoard of admirers.

Zelda only received one, with the card signed by ‘Anonymous’. To this day she has no idea who sent it.

And now for junior year, the staff decided to go in a completely different direction this time. Their brilliant idea? The Cold Shoulder: the game where the boys were all given paper hearts to tape to their shirts and the girls were tasked to steal them away.

Sounds easy enough, right? Not quite, for the catch was that a girl could only take a boy’s heart if he talked to her.

That’s right. The boys weren’t allowed to talk to the opposite gender all day, unless they felt like giving up their heart.

Zelda didn’t expect for the game to work. She expected her peers to scorn it and laugh at the ridiculousness of it. But while a few didn’t care about the game and simply gave their hearts to their girl friends, others were all for the game and were trying their best to not let their mouths run when a girl was present.

Poor Daruk only lasted about 10 seconds after walking in the building. His resolve crumbled when a girl eagerly wished him a good morning. He reluctantly surrendered his heart, but not without laughing and giving the girl a ‘good job’ sentiment.

Revali, with all his boasting, didn’t last long either. Zelda was sure that his admirers—the number of which that was strangely growing smaller ever since Link joined the archery team— were still fighting over that crumpled paper heart.

Boys were caving left and right. Either by accident or by choice, the amount of available hearts had dwindled to one by lunchtime.

And who had the lone remaining heart left?

From her lunch table, Zelda had a good view of it. It was taped to the right side of Link’s chest, and so far, there didn’t seem to be any signs of it ever being removed.

All the girls concluded that it was a lost cause. Many tried to engage him in conversation, from enthusiastically greeting him, to bringing up his recent victory in the fencing match with their rival school, to complimenting his archery skills. Alas, he remained silent through it all.

Zelda was surprised that Mipha hadn’t gotten it, considering their closeness. She heard they’d been friends since they were kids. If anyone in this school had a shot at snagging his heart, it was her.

Unbidden, Zelda’s stare lifted, and she was met with a pair of warm, watery blue eyes gazing right back at her.

Zelda mused on her strange relationship with Link Wild.

She’d been aware of him since freshman year, well before she got him as her top match in the survey. How could she not be? His tales of fencing victories were told by everyone in the student body. He was undefeated in every match, even beating the coach and other instructors. He was the star and captain (rightfully so) of the team. And when he joined archery a year later, he quickly rose through the ranks and easily brought down Revali, who up until that point was the best archer in the school.

Revali never got over it. His pride had been thoroughly mangled. To not be the leader and instead play _support_ for someone who just waltzed up and decided that fencing wasn’t enough, it killed him inside. The two were always butting heads, although in Link’s defense, it was Revali who instigated it.

Sometimes Link would entertain the prideful boy and participate in a little archery competition. But most times he would simply give this annoyed glare, that clearly meant he wasn’t interested in yet another match when they both knew who the victor would be.

Zelda has shared some classes with Link since sophomore year. That was when the staring started. It was a few weeks into the first month that she noticed it. Whenever it happened, she would feel his eyes on her, that blank gaze of what purpose she could never ascertain. She’d tense and focus more on her notetaking, before she grew a little bolder and tried to catch him in the act.

It did little good. He didn’t even have the decency to look away when he was caught. And Zelda, unwilling to back down, would participate in the impromptu staring match until the teacher would call for either of their attention, or the bell would ring, upon which he’d quickly pack up his supplies and leave the room without a word.

What did it mean? Was he sizing her up for a competition of sorts? Did he despise her? If that was the case, she didn’t understand why, considering they had never interacted before. Maybe he was still sore about getting her for his top match in the survey? Maybe he expected someone else and was mad that he got her instead?

She couldn’t tell. He never appeared malicious, or scornful, or…anything, really. He gave nothing away; he was like a marble statue. And its unnerved Zelda to no end.

There was only one class he couldn’t stare at her in, only because in that one she was assigned to sit behind him rather than beside him.

With this advantage, Zelda discovered a few things that not many, outside of Daruk and Mipha, would likely know about Link Wild.

For one thing, he was smart. Well, at least in math, that is. It turned out that he wasn’t all brawn and no brains, if his test results were anything to go by.

It wasn’t exactly her fault that she knew his test scores. Every time they got them back, he held his at just the right angle for only her to see. It was almost like he _wanted_ her to see the constant high 90’s and 100’s. She’d be jealous if her grades weren’t as good as his.

He was also generous, a fact that she was admittedly surprised by. A couple times during the months they were seated by each other, her pens ran out of ink. For someone who prided herself on her studious nature, she could be so forgetful to bring an extra, and it never failed to make her feel embarrassed.

Since he was the closest person to her, she found herself tapping on his shoulder before she could think otherwise. After all, for all she knew he could’ve hated her.

His head had slightly turned in her direction, indicating she had his attention. Knowing it was too late to change her mind, plus she _really_ needed a pen, in a whisper she asked to borrow one of his if he had one to spare.

He had swiftly offered the pen he was using without looking back at her. Touched (she had honestly expected him to either refuse or ignore her), she thanked him and took it. She made sure to return it after class; she couldn’t risk earning any more of his ire.

The second time she borrowed his pen was the last. Right before he slammed his notebook shut at the conclusion of class, she caught a peek at the pages: the entirely empty pages filled with nothing but indentations.

She remembered how the guilt welled up inside her. Because of her, he used one of his dead pens to forcibly press into the notebook paper to go back and trace over with his working pen later. If he could tell what he wrote by then, that is.

He probably felt obligated by his sense of generosity to give her his only pen, even if he did hate her. His hatred had probably deepened by the extra burden she placed on him. Zelda vowed that she’d never ask to borrow something of his again.

Inevitably, the third time it happened she borrowed a pen from the girl sitting to her right. In the end she was glad that she did. Because immediately after getting the pen, she saw that Link’s shoulders were a bit hunched. He always maintained perfect posture. Thus, this deviation from the norm must have meant that he was either tired or agitated that day. In either case she didn’t want to bother him.

Presently, they shared a few more classes together compared to last year. Zelda hadn’t spoken to him since the pen episodes, yet he never refrained from observing her. She guessed she could add _dedicated_ to his list of character traits, since he must have some real dedication to hate her for so long.

Even so, she was unable to break away from those penetrating eyes. Just what was he thinking? Did he really hate her as she thought? What else could it mean?

“Could you please stop staring at your boyfriend for a second and actually talk to us?”

Startled, Zelda turned and promptly levelled a scowl at Purah, who was grinning wickedly. Robbie was leaned over one of his many mechanical engineering textbooks, pausing only to push his large glasses back into place. It was likely he didn’t hear Purah’s comment at all.

Cherry, proudly bearing Robbie’s heart, cast a knowing smile at Zelda that was similar to Purah’s.

“He’s not my boyfriend,” Zelda denied, the words coming automatically to her tongue. This wasn’t the first time Purah had assumed this. “Besides, I barely know him!”

“Then why is it that there’s always a sexual tension thick enough that the Master Sword can cut through whenever you two are giving each other those bedroom eyes?” Purah demanded, her grin impossibly widening further.

“There is no sexual tension!” Zelda shrieked, already feeling her face heat up at the mere suggestion. “And there are no ‘bedroom eyes’. He just stares at me and I stare back because I won’t back down from him, even if he does hate me.”

Purah and Cherry simultaneously rolled their eyes. Zelda crossed her arms together, not believing her statement warranted their dismissal like that.

“Are you blind?” Cherry asked. “The last thing that boy does is hate you. It’s obvious he’s into you.”

“Too bad we’re not there yet,” Purah muttered.

Zelda scoffed. “If he was interested in me,” she began, pointedly ignored Purah’s remark, “then don’t you think he would’ve asked me out by now? Instead of constantly drilling holes into my back?”

“Link doesn’t talk to anyone!” Cherry exclaimed. “He’s probably too shy to ask you out and thinks that maybe if he stares at you long enough, you’ll get the hint. It was the same with Robbie!”

At this, the aforementioned boyfriend looked up for the first time from his book. He smiled sheepishly while his cheeks delved into a rosy pink. Cherry smiled and kissed him on the cheek, which didn’t help diminish the boy’s blush at all.

“He’s shy. Like Cherry said, he’s probably waiting for you to figure it out and go to him. I bet all my rupees that if you walked over there right now and asked him out, he’d say yes like that,” Purah said, finishing with a snap of her fingers. “Snap!”

Now it was Zelda’s turn to roll her eyes.

“Why would the star of the fencing and archery teams be shy about asking me out? He has no reason to be shy. I’m telling you: he hates me and that’s all there is to it.”

“He doesn’t-!” Purah started angrily, before stopping to take a deep breath to calm herself. Her fingers were steepled over her nose and mouth, as if in prayer. She likely was pleading something to the Goddesses at that point.

Then, she raised her head and narrowed her eyes at Zelda.

“Now, you listen to me. Link Wild does not hate you. I don’t think he hates anybody, except maybe Revali, but that’s not the point. The point is that he doesn’t hate you like you think he does. Does he glare at you ever? Has he ever insulted you? I don’t think so. He’s always looking at you like…”

As Purah kept talking, Zelda grew more and more done with the conversation. To distract herself from her friend’s delusional rambling, her eyes wandered across the cafeteria.

“…and if you still think he hates you after all that, then you’re just a-”

“Fruitcake!”

Purah frowned. “Huh?”

But Zelda wasn’t paying attention. In her line of sight sat the most delicious-looking slice of fruitcake she had ever seen. It was vanilla, double layered with whipped cream and strawberries in between the layers. On top sat more whipped cream frosting, along with an orange slice, a wildberry, a few blueberries, and an apple slice that appeared perfectly ripe enough for her to drool over.

It was perfection and way more appealing than her school lunch of a dubious food she didn’t even want to try identifying despite her passion for chemistry.

Meanwhile, Link had the distinct feeling he was being watched. Curious, he glanced back in _her_ direction, only to see that her focus was trained on something else entirely.

He slowly peered down at his slice of fruitcake, back to her longing gaze, down to the fruitcake, and back again.

Zelda blinked when she noticed the fruitcake’s owner stand. She paled once she realized _who_ the owner was. Her breath hitched in her throat as she ducked her head down, praying to Hylia Herself for mercy from Link’s wrath.

“He’s coming over here!” Purah squealed. Cherry, in disbelief, turned around and gasped when she saw that Purah was right.

“He’s coming!” Cherry excitedly confirmed.

“Stop acting like it’s a good thing!” Zelda hissed, more than a little terrified.

Now she’d done it. She really screwed up this time.

Because being dedicated, generous, and talented weren’t the only attributes to Link’s character. It was also widely known that he was a nearly uncontrollable glutton once food was on the table. The boy brought two lunch boxes bursting at the seams every day since one lunch wasn’t nearly enough to satisfy his insatiable hunger.

And now he was pissed off because she dared to look at his food for too long.

She heard the animated chatter of her friends die down. In fact, her entire table was quiet, along with a few other nearby tables. They must have wished to view her demise in total silence.

Zelda kept her eyes pinned to her tray. What would he do? Stab her with his épée? Shoot an arrow through her heart? Maybe if she didn’t look at him, he’d take pity on her and spare her.

**_I’m so stupid! Only a stupid person would try to eye up Link’s food. What’s wrong with me?! How-_ **

She blinked, taking in the slice of fruitcake that now lie innocently before her on a napkin.

Thoroughly shocked, she looked up just in time to catch his grin and subsequent wink before he walked back to his own table.

. 

.

.

.

.

“I knew it!” Purah shouted, pointing a finger in her flustered friend’s face. “I knew he liked you! Check it! Snappity snap!”

“We got her!” Cherry cried, giving Purah a high five.

“I’m sorry, Zelda. But even I must admit that it’s clear he’s quite taken with you,” Robbie spoke, adjusting his glasses. “Link never shares his food, much less give it away.”

Cheeks burning, Zelda reached for her fork.

…

The last class of her day wasn’t, in fact, a class at all. It was a study period that held around 15 students including herself, all presided over by a teacher who spent the extra time looking at pictures of ancient monsters on his computer with little regard for the shenanigans his temporary students could get involved in.

Zelda couldn’t fault Mr. Kilton for his interest, no matter how weird it may be. After all, most of her peers thought she was strange for being practically obsessed with the history and technology of the Sheikah.

The desks were always arranged in pairs. Usually she sat alone and either did her homework or looked for interesting science articles on her phone. Seeing an article published about advancing technology, elixirs, or a newly discovered historical relic never failed to spark her interest.

Today however, she didn’t immediately move to claim her seat. She hovered near the doorway, biting her lip as she considered the empty desk next to _him_.

Yes, Link was in this study too. For once he wasn’t looking at her, but down at his phone instead. The heart was still taped to his chest, mocking anyone who thought they might be able to steal it away.

On one hand, she should thank him for giving her what was arguably the best piece of fruitcake she ever had the pleasure of eating. On the other, it was a foolish idea to try to get him to talk. If he hadn’t spoken a word all day, why would he now, when victory was just within reach?

But still, what _if_ she got his heart? She’d be regarded as a champion to accomplish something no other girl could do. Besides, she didn’t get any hearts at all. Even Purah had gotten one at some point. Just imagine, if the sole heart she got was Link’s, of all boys?

She made up her mind.

Link glanced up at her when she sat down next to him, sky blue eyes widened in surprise. For a glorious moment he opened his mouth, and Zelda held her breath, wondering if it would really be this easy.

But then he shut it and turned back to his phone, leaving her tempted to scream.

Of course, it wouldn’t be that easy. But she couldn’t give up just because of one disappointment. She would get him to talk one way or another.

Leaning on her palm, she smiled brightly at him even though he wasn’t looking in her direction.

“Thank you for the fruitcake at lunch, it was the best I’ve ever had! Where did you buy it from? I have to get it sometime!”

That honestly wasn’t just a ploy to get him to talk; she really was thankful and wanted to know what bakery sold that fruitcake. She’d go there every day to buy some and beg the baker for the recipe. Then she could have as much fruitcake as she wanted!

Her hopes yet again came crashing down when all he did was shake his head without even a glance in her direction. To further illustrate his dismissal, he brought up his left arm and leaned on his fist, angling himself so that she couldn’t see his face.

Well, that was rude. She knew he wasn’t obligated to accept her thanks or answer her question but to just shake his head and turn away from her?

**_And Purah, Cherry, and Robbie had the nerve to insist that Link likes me. Bullshit._ **

Fine. She’d get over it. She didn’t like him in that way anyway, so it didn’t bother her. It was a shame though, that for such a handsome guy, he had such an ugly personality.

Zelda pondered of how next to approach this challenge. If flattery didn’t get her anywhere, then what would?

At last, it came to her. Maybe if she kept talking about something most people thought of as completely boring, he’d snap and tell her to shut up. It wouldn’t be the first time it’s happened to her. Why would he be any different?

Without a moment to lose, Zelda opened the history book she brought with her and flipped to the pages of the first chapter.

“Would you like to hear a story?” she asked him. She couldn’t just start randomly reading to him; that’d be weird.

He didn’t say anything, she doubted he would. Although, he did remove his eyes from his phone and gave her that blank stare he always did. As the seconds ticked by with no other form of answer, Zelda took that as her cue to begin.

“Before time began, before spirits and life existed, three golden goddesses descended upon the chaos that was Hyrule…”

It was a story heard countless times. Parents told it to their children as a bedtime story, it was covered in school each year, and during the special holidays when the goddesses were celebrated, the priests would repeat the tale to remind their listeners that it was a time to worship the goddesses and not an excuse to party.

Basically, it was a story he must’ve heard a million times by now, and it wouldn’t be long until he would tell her to stop.

But he didn’t.

By default, Zelda kept reading. When she reached the end, she continued by going into the story of how the land above the sky was formed. That one was longer, and there was no question that Link would eventually get so bored that he’d _have_ to tell her to stop.

 ** _Any minute now_** , she kept repeating to herself. **_Any minute he’ll crack._**

But he didn’t.

Did she bore him to sleep? Out of the corner of her eye she saw that he was facing her, sitting up and clearly not asleep as she’d briefly thought. He couldn’t actually be enjoying this, right? She thought she was the only one who liked hearing those stories.

“She sent it skyward, beyond the reach of the demonic hoards. Beyond even the clouds.”

Since her eyes were too busy following along with the words, she didn’t notice that she held Link’s undivided attention, nor did she catch his fond smile. If she had, perhaps she would’ve known sooner that he didn’t dislike her at all.

“Shut the hell up!”

Finally!

He had a rougher, whinier voice than she imagined, but he still talked! Zelda excitedly snapped her head up to face Link, ready to demand the paper heart she rightfully earned, but paused when she saw him glaring at something past her. 

Confused, she followed his gaze and stopped at the boy who was seated in front of her. He was swiveled around in his chair, eyebrows furrowed, and mouth set in a scowl. The pure picture of annoyance.

Oh. _He_ was the one who talked. She wondered if her disappointment was showing.

“We heard that story a million times already, it’s getting old,” he complained. “Didn’t anyone ever tell you that you talk too much?”

Okay, _that_ hurt.

Zelda bent her head down, hopefully appeasing him without embarrassing herself any further. He was right, after all. Before she found friendships with Purah, Cherry, and Robbie, who didn’t reject her for her excited ramblings about a piece of history or elixir recipes, she had no one. Sure, she sometimes had friends, but they all abandoned her after about a week or two of knowing her, unable to bear her excessive talking any longer.

She braced herself for more complaints and scolding. Of him saying things like ‘no one cares’ or ‘goddesses, you’re so annoying’. It wouldn’t be the first time she heard those things.

Yet none came.

She chanced a peek at him, curious as to why he stopped. Not that she wanted him to continue by any means, it was just that they would usually go on until she felt like crying.

Strangely, his attention wasn’t focused on her at all. He was staring wide-eyed at Link, a little paler now compared to when he was initially snapping at her. Zelda turned to her companion for answers, but he was already looking at his phone again, seemingly oblivious to what was going on. And when she looked back at the frightened boy, he was turned around in his seat and minding his own business again.

Thoroughly puzzled, her eyes darted between them, trying to figure out some answers. She didn’t see what the guy was so scared about. Link hadn’t spoken a word to him, yet the guy looked like he had seen a ghost or something.

Zelda regarded Link with suspicion. What did he _do_?

Unfortunately, she couldn’t dwell on it for too long. A quick glance at the clock confirmed she only had…

**_TEN MINUTES LEFT?!_ **

Zelda allowed herself a moment to breathe before shifting into panic mode. She could do this, she’s got this! All she had to do was make Link say something to her in ten minutes, no matter how short of a sentence it may be. Hell, him ordering her to stop with her scheme would be good enough for her.

Zelda wracked her brain for a solution. What plus what equaled Link talking to her? Flattery plus smiles equaled failure. Talking directly to him plus more smiles equaled in nonverbal responses, which wasn’t what she was looking for. History book plus reading aloud equaled in failure as well.

What would get him to talk?! She mentally sorted through different ways to entice him, of what approach she could take. What normally got people to speak?

People talked when they were interested in something, right? Interest is an emotional response so perhaps…she had to appeal to his emotions?

But the guy had the emotional capability of a rock! He never reacted to anything!

Only something that could truly shake him to the core would do it. But what? What would be the most shocking thing she could say to him that would trigger a verbal reply?

She glanced up at the clock. Five minutes left.

Okay, she knew that Link possibly hated her. That could play into how she would go about this. Maybe she could say she hated him back?

No, he probably heard that from Revali every day. If Link didn’t deign him a response to his taunts, then she doubted that he would to hers.

Another look at the clock. Three minutes.

Zelda bit her lip. An idea did come to her, but it was kind of crazy. Yet crazy enough to work? Scientists were encouraged to take chances for they never knew what they might discover. Perhaps this was her time to take a chance as well?

“Link,” she firmly said, before she could change her mind.

He put his phone away—he must’ve noticed that it was almost time to leave—prior to facing her with that ever-present blank look. Everyone else was already gathering their things. Mr. Kilton was likely closing out his web browser filled with bokoblins and moblins galore.

Link slightly raised an eyebrow in expectation. Right. She called him for a reason and now she was inwardly panicking and taking too much notice of the little things to ask him—

“Will you go out with me?”

He blinked, clearly stunned. Those warm, blue eyes were impossibly wide, and his lips were parted, betraying his shock. It was the most emotion she had ever seen him show.

Then the most peculiar thing happened. His cheeks, which were normally tan, gradually shifted into a rosy red shade. Was he blushing?

Yes, Zelda noted with astonishment. He was! Now _this_ was the most emotional she had ever seen him. Although, now that she knew he was capable of it, she wondered what else could reduce Castletown’s perfect boy to a blushing, wide-eyed, near-mess.

And then he opened his mouth.

“Yeah,” he whispered, a corner of his lips quirking up cutely in a way that Zelda almost missed because of the sheer shock shaking her to the core.

He talked. He really talked! Not to Mipha or any other girl in the school, but to _her_!

“Finally!” she screeched, causing a few students to turn their heads in bewilderment. But she didn’t care, because she just accomplished the impossible!

Link appeared startled at first by her sudden outcry, until a smile bloomed across his face.

“You talked!” she gasped, pointing a finger at his nose.

His smile abruptly dropped, replaced by a frown of confusion.

She held out her hand, eager for her payment. “Now you owe me your heart.”

For a few moments he just stared at her. Zelda patiently waited with a grin, her hand still outstretched toward him. Was he surprised that someone had finally defeated him in something? No wonder why Revali boasted about his achievements all the time; all she wanted to do was scream her victory of making Link Wild talk to the heavens.

Zelda felt her smile dimming once she noticed how Link was currently looking at her. Gone was the confused stare. Now he was glowering at her, with a look so angry and cold and _wow_ wasn’t this kind of glare usually reserved for Revali?

She slowly lowered her hand, suddenly feeling _very_ small under that look. She could hear whispers from her peers, none of them too pleasant.

_“She asked him out just to get him to talk? And he said yes?”_

_“Damn, that’s just cold.”_

_“What a bitch.”_

_“Poor Link...”_

_“Gotta admit though, that was smart. Evil, but smart.”_

No, she wasn’t evil! All she wanted to do was get him to talk; was that so bad? Tons of girls before her tried, so why was she the only one being called an evil bitch?

Although, manipulating someone’s feelings like that probably wasn’t the best way to go about it.

Wait a minute.

Manipulating his feelings…in all her excitement, Zelda had completely missed his answer and the significance of it.

**_“I bet all my rupees that if you walked over there right now and asked him out, he’d say yes like that!”_ **

Zelda softly gasped once it hit her. She asked him out (albeit not really meaning it) and he said yes. He wanted to go out with her. And boys only dated girls who they had romantic feelings for, which meant that—

**_Link Wild likes me!_ **

He didn’t hate her at all. Purah, Cherry, and Robbie were right. Link liked her the whole time.

The bell rang.

He stood, tore off his heart, and set the crumpled pink paper in her hand. Shaken from her realization, she was left gaping at his icy eyes and scowl.

“Here. You earned it.”

With that cool remark he turned around and walked out of the classroom.

Link didn’t hate her before. But he just might now.

Zelda peered down at the wrinkled heart, immense guilt flooding her entire being, along with a feeling that she had just irrevocably _fucked up_.

But why should she feel that way? He may have had a crush on her, but it wasn’t reciprocated. Zelda never considered him in that kind of light; all he ever did was stare at her. She thought he hated her all this time!

Despite that, now that she knew the truth, it gave her an opportunity to consider him. To consider what could’ve been if she did mean it when she asked him out.

One of the positives of a relationship blooming would be that he wouldn’t yell at her to stop talking. If he never cracked during her retelling of Hyrule’s beginnings, a story he must have heard countless times, then she doubted he would snap while she talked about her other interests.

She was sure that he’d be a gentleman too. His silence could be taken as rudeness, but other than that he was nice. He never bullied others, never boasted about his victories or his grades, and she saw him hold open the door for people whenever he had the chance. She knew these reasons weren’t justifiable enough for her deduction, but somehow…she just knew it was true.

They could have study dates. She could go to his fencing and archery matches to cheer him on. Maybe she could learn what made him laugh. She never heard it, but she was positive he had a nice one. She could get to know him, find out why he was so quiet all the time, and coax more of those sweet smiles to appear on his lips.

Speaking of those lips, he seldom used them for talking. But perhaps he wouldn’t mind using them for another purpose…

“Zelda? The bell rang two minutes ago. It’s time to go home.”

She flinched, thoroughly startled from her musings. Her face felt strangely warm due to that last thought as she looked at Mr. Kilton, who was standing in front of the chalkboard with a patient smile.

“Oh, yes!” she squeaked, her cheeks darkening this time in embarrassment. She quickly gathered her books and apologized. Luckily, he let it go with an amused chuckle. She always liked Mr. Kilton.

But now that she was out in a nearly deserted hallway, she could get back to thinking. And only one thought was prevalent in her mind: find Link.

She wasn’t exactly sure how to feel about him. He was handsome, smart, polite when he wasn’t brushing off her questions, and most importantly, he gave her his fruitcake. She could see a future with him if everything went well. Then again, she knew it might not go well. What if she never got to break through his silence? What if he grew annoyed with her? What if she grew annoyed with him? What if they had a nasty, sob-inducing break up?

But what if they were happy? The couple that was mismatched in others’ eyes, yet perfect in their own? The only two who could truly understand each other?

She had no idea what could happen. But scientists always took chances, and it was once again time to take hers.

Zelda quickly grabbed what she needed from her locker before running to the student parking lot. She scanned her surroundings, desperately searching for the boy with blond hair half-pulled in a lower ponytail and a sky-blue shirt.

She didn’t see him, but she did find Daruk talking with a few other boys, presumably his wrestling teammates. Swallowing her pride, for she knew that while he was too kind to make fun of her, she had no such guarantee with his friends, she hurried over and tapped him on the shoulder.

Zelda had to crane her neck up to see him but was glad when he looked down at her with a smile. His friends quieted, likely wondering why her of all people wanted to talk to Daruk. After all, this was her first time speaking to him.

“Zelda!” he greeted in a deep, jovial voice. She found her smile widening due to his infectious good mood. “What’s up?”

“Do you know where Link is?” she asked, cutting right to the chase. She didn’t know how much longer she had until he left or if he was gone already. “I need to talk to him.”

“Link?” he repeated, his smile shifting to a grin that scarily reminded her of Purah’s.

Zelda bit her lip as she tried to fight off a growing blush. She should’ve just looked for Link herself.

“Yeah, I might. He usually parks over there.” To this, Daruk turned and pointed towards the end of the parking lot. “So, what do you need to talk to the little guy about?”

“Nothing important,” she dismissed, wishing that he would just stop giving her _that smirk_. It wasn’t like he could know what she wanted to talk to Link about; he didn’t know her! On a side note, she did find Daruk’s nickname for Link amusing. He was a tad shorter than a lot of the boys, but she wouldn’t exactly call him little.

Yet with Daruk, she supposed anyone could be called little compared to him.

Squinting, she could just make out a motorcycle in the far direction where Daruk pointed. Link drove a motorcycle? Come to think of it, that was kind of hot…

_No! Focus, Zelda!_

“I think I see him. Thanks, Daruk!” she said before sprinting away.

Daruk shouted a ‘you’re welcome’ and waved, even though she didn’t see it. Ignoring his teammates’ curious looks, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. He didn’t bother waiting for the customary greeting when the line picked up.

“Don’t leave yet, little guy. Trust me, you’re going to want to wait.”

…

Meanwhile, as Zelda sprinted across the lot, ignoring the baffled looks from the other students, she wished that she had participated more in gym class. Perhaps if she had spent more of her time running instead of studying, maybe now she wouldn’t be nearly out of breath from only running a few feet.

But her goal was within sight. Link stood, leaning an elbow on the bike seat with his back to her. He didn’t appear ready to leave anytime soon, and for that she was grateful. Because she knew that if he left school half as fast as he did with classes, she would’ve had no chance at catching him.

At last, he was within hearing distance.

“Link! Link, wait!”

His head turned and Zelda felt a sense of relief when she couldn’t detect any malice in his gaze. Come to think of it, as she drew closer, she couldn’t tell how he was feeling. He had once again gone back to that blank look that he wore every day.

She remembered with a pang of regret that _she_ was one of the few who had managed to see him without it.

If she was lucky it could happen again, and she could possibly see what lies beneath those calm waters.

As Zelda approached, she had to take a few seconds to regain her breath. Her legs felt numb and she wasn’t sure if it was from the run or her nerves. She lifted her finger in a ‘wait’ motion as she rapidly took in much-needed gulps of air.

Meanwhile, Link had his head slightly tilted as he regarded her. Zelda didn’t miss how a corner of his mouth was just barely lifted in the ghost of a smile. It unfortunately disappeared as quickly as it came once Zelda recovered. That wasn’t a good sign. He probably wanted to laugh at her for being so winded; he wanted to see her suffer for what she did to him.

Nonetheless, she had to try to make amends.

She rose to her full height, tilting her chin up as she regarded him. But then thought better of it and lowered it. She didn’t want him to think that she thought she was superior to him.

“Link,” she breathed. His expression didn’t change. “I’m so sorry for tricking you like that. I just wanted to get you to talk and all my other attempts failed, so I thought of the most outlandish thing to say and went with it.”

His eyes narrowed. He wasn’t appeased in the least.

Zelda huffed, crossing her arms together. Granted, she probably could’ve been a little more eloquent with her apology, and not suggested that the idea of dating him was outlandish, but why was he making this so hard?! His heart was already taken, why couldn’t he just talk to her?

“I am sorry, Link, but to be fair I had no idea that you liked me.”

This time he crossed his arms, lids lowered as he raised an eyebrow. She could practically hear his sarcastic question.

_Really?_

“Yes, really,” she snapped. Link leaned away a bit, clearly taken aback. He probably didn’t expect her to be able to decipher his unspoken thoughts.

“All you ever did was stare at me whenever we were near each other. And gave me fruitcake once—which was amazing by the way, you still need to tell me where you got it—but other than that there was nothing. You never said a word to me about how you feel.”

Link blushed and looked down, rubbing the back of his neck. Either it be from shame or embarrassment, she didn’t know.

“I didn’t buy it from anywhere,” he murmured at last, so quietly she almost missed it.

“What?”

“The fruitcake,” he clarified. “I didn’t buy it from anywhere. I made it.”

Zelda blinked. “You made it?”

He nodded. “I make all my food.”

Link Wild can cook? She had no idea, although it made sense. When you’re a glutton you need to be able to provide large meals for yourself without depending on anyone else. Suddenly all she could picture in her mind was Link over a hot stove, armed with an oven mitt instead of a sword, mixing something in a pot with one hand while pulling a fruitcake out of the oven with the other.

It was so…so…

“Cute,” she said aloud, causing Link to snap his head back up, eyes widened.

Zelda bit her lip, hoping her cheeks didn’t appear as hot as they were. She prayed he wouldn’t ask her for an explanation, because she _really_ didn’t want to admit how endearing she thought it was that he could cook. Not to mention how sweet it was that he made a fruitcake all by himself and gave her a slice without asking.

Thankfully, he didn’t ask her about it, and she didn’t exactly volunteer to explain.

The pair continued to stare at each other, Zelda unable to ascertain what was going on in his mind. She may have been able to surmise the meaning of a few earlier expressions, but when he had that blank look it was nearly impossible to tell how he was feeling.

The longer the silence stretched on, the more Zelda grew unnerved, until at last she couldn’t take it anymore.

“Well, umm, that was it,” she said, looking down and twisting her fingers together. “I wanted to apologize and…umm…yeah.” This was _not_ how she pictured this ending. She was expecting a refusal to accept her apology, or him wholeheartedly accepting it and then inviting her to ride off into the afternoon sun together (because it wasn’t sunset yet).

She didn’t expect to end this on an awkward and silent note at all. Although, she shouldn’t have been surprised. This _was_ Link Wild after all, the king of silence.

“So, I’ll be going now. I’m sorry again and I hope you have a happy Valentine’s Day.”

Silence and more of that blank stare. Of course.

She internally sighed. Well, she gave him his chance to stop her. She apologized; there wasn’t much else she could do. And so, she turned around and started to walk away. Away from Link and any sliver of a chance for a relationship with him.

This never would’ve happened if she hadn’t gone through with her thoughtless trick.

She was three steps away when she heard it.

“Wait.”

She looked back. Link walked to her, stopping until there were only a few inches of distance between them. Zelda’s breath hitched in her throat as she peered up into blue eyes that rivaled the pure waters of Lake Hylia.

His eyebrows were lowered, eyes hard and his mouth set in a frown. It wasn’t hard for her to tell how he was feeling in this moment: determined.

“You said that I’ve never said a word to you about how I feel. Well, I’m telling you now. Zelda, I’ve liked you for a long time, even before I got you as my top match in that romance survey. I didn’t know how to approach you, so I just stared at you like an idiot and hoped you’d get the message.”

Huh, so Purah was right about that, too. Zelda could scarcely believe what was happening; here was Link Wild, heartthrob of the school, captain of the fencing and archery teams, the boy who every girl clamored over to get his paper heart, confessing his feelings for _her_ and admitting he’s liked _her_ for years.

Her, the girl who was obsessed with ancient Sheikah history and tended to ramble whenever she got excited.

Of course, she had a million questions running through her mind. The most prominent ones ranging from ‘how long have you liked me’ and ‘why do you like me’. Then there was the disbelief of ‘wow this is the most I’ve ever heard him talk’.

To her surprise, he continued when she didn’t offer any response. Which was good, considering that she doubted she’d be able to string a logical sentence together after such a revelation about him.

“The truth is, you’ve stolen my heart, and not just the paper one.” His face flushed at that and he rubbed the back of his neck again. He seemed to do that whenever he got flustered enough.

“So, yeah. I like you. Do you like me back?”

The question sounded so juvenile. It was hardly the stuff of romance that girls would often fantasize and swoon to.

But this was Link. He wasn’t the type to give flowery speeches and bend down on one knee, boldly professing his love. This was Link, the boy who didn’t talk much, who was simple and direct in his purpose. Link, who stared at her all this time not because he was sizing her up for a challenge, but because he liked her. Link, the one who baked a fruitcake and noticed her eyeing it up, then proceeded to give her the slice without asking.

Link who, despite possessing immense courage, didn’t have enough to ask out the girl he likes.

“I-” she breathed. Her heart was pounding in her chest. She didn’t care if he didn’t have some grand speech; in her eyes it was the most beautiful thing she’s ever heard. “I…”

It may have been beautiful, and she may have found him attractive, but the truth was…

“I’m not sure.”

She had never considered any romantic feelings for him until today. She hadn’t even had a conversation with him until now.

So yes, while the prospect of a potential relationship with Link set her heart racing, she wasn’t decidedly sure if she liked him or just liked the _idea_ of it. All her initial assessments of Link were thrown for a loop today, she needed some time to figure out what her heart wanted.

Link’s face fell. Her heart constricted upon seeing it, hating the way he looked like a kicked puppy. She would’ve preferred his stoic mask compared to the raw pain she saw in his eyes.

She had to get rid of that pain, right now.

“But…”

He lifted his eyes back to hers. They weren’t so much pained now, instead they were lit with curiosity.

She fiddled with her hands again. Her heartbeat roared in her ears.

“I-I would like a chance to decide. Like…like over a date, maybe? I’d be open to see where we could go. Because while I do like you, I’m not sure if I like you how you like me, you know? You seem nice, and you’re generous, and you _are_ very attractive-”

Oh, Goddesses, she needed to stop talking _right now_. But the words kept flowing and Link wasn’t doing anything to stop them. In fact, judging by the small smirk that was twisting his lips, he seemed more than willing to listen to more.

“And my heart has started to beat really fast when I’m around you, but I haven’t figured out why yet. But I do see a lot of possibilities for us. I could go to your matches and we could cook together even though I’m _terrible_ at it and we could get closer and we could talk more because let’s face it, this relationship isn’t going to work if you don’t open up more-”

Oh no, did she just offend him again?!

“I’m sorry! I swear I’m not trying to be mean when saying that or try to discomfort you but-”

She froze when she felt a soft, warm press on her cheek.

Link pulled back, smiling wider than she’s ever seen him do. He should smile more often; he had a nice smile. It was one that sent her stomach fluttering more than any of his stoic frowns.

She wouldn’t mind having more kisses, either.

“Would Friday at 7 be okay?”

Friday? What did he mean?…oh! The date!

“Yes!” she squeaked, then upon realizing how embarrassingly desperate that sounded, cleared her throat. “I mean, yes. That would be good. For the date.”

He grinned. She didn’t think she’d ever seen so many facial expressions from him until today.

“See you then.”

Zelda managed a feeble wave in response. Meanwhile, Link walked back to his bike and was about to start it when he heard her call out for him to wait again.

He paused, his fingers hovering above the key. Zelda smiled sheepishly up at him while her fingers were twisting themselves together.

“Actually, we could kind of have a date now, if you want? The buses are all gone by now, and my friends must have left already, so I was wondering if maybe you could-?”

Zelda was interrupted by a low, rumbling sound emitting from him. His head was bent, and he was smiling, shoulders hunched. He was…chuckling? She could barely believe it. For someone who she thought was more marble than man, she was honestly surprised that he could feel amused enough to make the sound. He never laughed during school, not even with Daruk and Mipha.

Yet she, mere Zelda, whom he’d only spoken with today, managed to draw it out of him?

The realization pleased her more than she thought it would.

Link jerked his head toward the passenger seat.

“There’s a spare helmet in that bag. Put it on then get on.”

Zelda followed his directions, opening the bag tied to the back seat and reaching in to pull out a black helmet decorated with a simple, golden Hylian crest above the visor. It was a snug fit, but she had no trouble sliding it on over her long hair.

But when it came time to actually get on the bike, she hesitated. Since Link had started it, the bike never made any strange, worrying noises. Plus, she was the one to ask him for a ride home. So why was she suddenly feeling nervous?

Maybe it was because she’d never been on a motorcycle before. Or maybe because it only balanced on two wheels instead of a more comforting four. Or it could have something to do with her having no idea of how good of a driver he was.

She was already lost in her inner horror scenarios of Link driving at the speed of light, zipping between cars and barely avoiding collisions. She’d be on the back seat, holding on to him for dear life and praying to all the Goddesses that they wouldn’t crash—

“What’s wrong?” he asked. He tilted his head, and since he was wearing his helmet, the only discernable feature she could see were his eyes, which were glittering with mischief. “You’re not scared, are you?”

She bit her lip. That teasing glint was doing funny things to her stomach.

“No,” she hotly denied and before thinking twice she swung herself onto the seat.

Curse her rashness.

She thought she heard what sounded suspiciously like a snicker. But it was low and muffled so it was impossible to tell. Besides, Link had laughed once already today. She didn’t think he’d do it twice.

A jolt of panic hit her when he brought up the kickstand. Now they were truly balancing on two wheels. Could they tip over? What if Link accidentally tipped them over while making a turn?! She never should’ve asked for a ride home; walking would’ve taken longer, but at least she’d end up having her life still intact.

His head slightly turned back. “Are you ready?”

No, she was most certainly not ready. But she couldn’t back out now. Her pride was at stake.

“Go slow,” she answered instead, raising her voice to be heard above the purr of the engine.

She had expected a scoff in return, or for him to simply take off at the highest speed possible regardless of her warning. Because what motorcycle owner wanted a skittish passenger telling them to go slow? One of the points of owning a bike in the first place was for how fast they were.

But to her surprise, he just nodded and returned his attention to the bike.

And just like that, _considerate_ joined the list of his traits. If he kept doing things like that, Zelda would decide to pursue a relationship with Link before their date! She was starting to suspect that it wouldn’t be hard at all to fall for him eventually.

She was torn from her thoughts when she realized they were _moving_. It might have been at a sneaky seashell snail’s pace, but they were still moving regardless.

**_This is fine, no big deal. We’re going slow just like Link said he would. No need to panic._ **

Then he went faster.

To be honest it wasn’t that much of an acceleration of speed, and looking back, Zelda would be ashamed of herself for freaking out so much. But she couldn’t help it, her fear overtook her as she yelped and buried her face in his shoulder, wrapping her arms around him and squeezing tightly.

“Are you okay?” he yelled, pulling up to the parking lot’s exit and stopping for the stop sign.

No, she wasn’t. But her pride was still at stake. Although, as long as she kept a firm hold on Link, she couldn’t fly away very easily. But would he mind the breach of space between them?

If he was, he hadn’t raised a complaint about it. And so, Zelda decided to keep holding on to him, although she loosened her grip a little. If Link couldn’t breathe, he couldn’t drive the bike. And if Link couldn’t drive the bike, they’d crash and die.

Thus, it was better not to disrupt his breathing.

“Yes, I’m fine. By the way, you haven’t crashed or anything while on this bike, have you?”

He shook his head. “No accidents.”

“Have you ever tipped over while making a turn?”

There it was, that sound she could’ve sworn was a chuckle again. “No, I haven’t.”

That calmed her down a bit. Thank Hylia that Link seemed to be a good driver. In hindsight, there was the chance that he was lying to her. Yet, despite after talking to him for less than an hour, she believed him. She didn’t know why, but she did. Hopefully that wouldn’t come back to haunt her later.

“Alright. Drive on, then.”

Instead of a verbal reply, he drove out of the lot on onto the main road. While Zelda maintained her grip around Link’s stomach, she lifted her head from his shoulder to take in the view. As soon as she did, the answering wind flew into her eyes, causing them to sting and water. She quickly lowered the plastic visor.

And Link, he was doing an excellent job. He didn’t speed, wasn’t weaving between cars, or riding anyone’s bumper. He was driving perfectly, why, they were probably a little bit _under_ the speed limit.

As they rode on with no scares, Zelda slowly felt herself relax. Her arms loosened from around Link’s middle, although she still held on. To be honest, she liked holding him there. It gave her an excuse to be close to him, and Link gave no indication that he minded.

Soon enough, Zelda began to understand why people rode motorcycles. The experience was so thrilling! Tossing her head back, she allowed the wind to race through her long, golden hair. She knew she’d have a terrible (not to mention painful) time getting all the knots out later, but that was future-Zelda’s problem. Present-Zelda could only feel how good the cool wind felt blowing through her hair.

“Faster!” she heard herself demanding. She hadn’t mean to say it; with the exhilaration coursing through her veins the word just slipped out. Although, she didn’t take it back. She _did_ want Link to speed up. Besides, there was a stretch of empty road ahead of them. He could do it.

At first she didn’t think he heard her. It was difficult to hear anything above the roar of the engine and the wind in their ears.

Therefore, Zelda was shocked and nearly had a heart attack when she was suddenly lowered backwards.

A wheelie! He was really performing a wheelie!

The realization of what he had done lasted as long as the trick itself. In no time they were stably back on the ground. Link revved the motorcycle and then they darted forward faster than Zelda could fully comprehend.

When she did, she tossed her head back and screamed out a loud ‘woo-hoo!’, followed by a peal of delighted laughter.

From his place in the front seat, Link smiled.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you liked it! All the Valentine's Day games were based on real events that happened while I was in high school. The only thing that was changed was the outcome of the love survey. The mix-up with the students and the teachers happened, but there weren't any phone calls from concerned parents. Everyone thought it was hilarious and moved on.
> 
> Please don't roast me too hard in the comments ;)


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